Good morning, and welcome to the Global Situation Report for Wednesday, 31 July 2024.
- INT’L RESPONSE TO ISRAEL’S ATTACKS ON HEZ. AND HAMAS: Israel launched a missile into Tehran, Iran, overnight, killing a leader of Hamas. Israel conducted a similar strike against Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon. Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei has vowed vengeance against Israel.
- Regional nations are condemning the attacks and asking for the international community to respond. Qatar asked, “How can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Meanwhile, Turkey warned that “our region will face an even greater conflict” without an international response.
- British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged British citizens in Lebanon to register with the Foreign Office in case an emergency evacuation is needed.
- The U.S. and U.K. have two ships each on standby in Cyprus. Shipwatchers in the U.K. reported an additional ship leaving yesterday afternoon to help with any potential evacuation operations.
Why It Matters: The general regional perception appears to be that Israel is unserious about actually achieving peace. The U.S. and U.K.’s preparations for evacuation indicate an expectation that the situation will deteriorate even if it does not lead to a wider regional war. – J.V.
- Global Rollup
- The U.S. and Singapore signed a 30-year nuclear power information-sharing agreement. The agreement includes information on small modular reactors and new advancements in nuclear power technology.
- China’s President Xi Jinping called for increased border security, alongside maritime and air security, at the latest People’s Liberation Army study session. (Normally, border security is left unmentioned. This is another indicator that China’s border dispute with India is worsening. – J.V.)
- Russian Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Andrey Nastasyin told reporters this morning that China, Russia, and North Korea were consulting on how best to respond to the U.S. Forces Japan moving to a joint command under Japan. Nastasyin added, “It seems that both parties [Japan and the U.S.] have begun large-scale preparations for a major armed conflict in the Asia-Pacific”
- Germany disclosed China’s responsibility for a 2021 cyber attack, becoming the latest in a string of U.S. allies to do so. After the revelation, the German Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador for the first time since 1989.
- Venezuela and Panama cut all flights to each other’s countries in response to the diplomatic cessation. Venezuela also suspended all flights to the Dominican Republic.
THAT’S A WRAP: This does it for today’s edition. Thank you for reading. If you know folks who would also like to receive this email, would you please forward it to them? We appreciate you spreading the word. – M.S.